National study benchmarks pancreatic cancer surgery outcomes across China

Summary

A national Chinese registry analyzed 6,297 pancreatic cancer patients who underwent surgery at 65 centers from 2020 to 2021. Most patients had tumors in the pancreatic head or neck, while minimally invasive procedures accounted for 30.4% of operations. Reported in-hospital, 30-day, and 90-day mortality was 0.6%, 1.2%, and 3.1%, respectively, and three-year overall survival was 42.0%. Care remained concentrated in high-volume centers, with nearly 45% of patients crossing provincial borders, highlighting regional disparities and the need for standardized national benchmarks.